In the new book I'm working on, there is a serial killer. So you see the problem. I have to sort of think like a killer. If you know me, you're having a laugh about now. If not, you're wondering what kind of crazy I am. I don't know if I've accomplished the right attitude or not, but I can tell you I came out of the room after my last writing session feeling pretty down. To go to that place I had to imagine a lot of anger and resentment. I worked for about three hours and maintained a pretty hateful attitude toward most everything and everyone in the killer's world. I had a depressed feeling for hour after I'd put it all aside. The experience started me thinking about the many people who truly have suffered difficult lives. If a person grows up watching or receiving constant hatred and rage, s/he must internalize a lot of that. The abused often become abusers, after all. I'm not saying everyone subjected to regular mental or physical violence is a potential killer.
I'm actually wondering just the opposite. How is it so many people rise above it? I have to ask myself what someone finds within to become a successful human being. For some it seems to be the strength of religious faith. Others attribute their success to hard work or education. I wonder if anyone knows? Psychologists continue to debate whether it's "nature or nurture" that influences our development more profoundly. They do know, however, as all of us do - love and kindness always helps. 
